Back to Skool

I’m not quite fluent enough with the language to write en Espanol so I’ll leave that to Lisa for the next update after we have finished studying 😀

We have been in Antigua for a week now and have found it a great place to study, visit the sites while taking in some history, or just kick back and relax.

The small colonial city was designated a UNESCO site due to historic ruins that are dotted around the area.

Antigua was originally the nations capital but was moved to what is now Guatemala City in the 1700’s due to the risk of lahar’s from the volcanoes surrounding it and powerful earthquakes that have flattened the city several times.

The views from our hotel roof terrace.

Monday morning blues are not really a problem in Antigua.

We get up at 7am, grab a bite to eat on the way to school and then have 4 hours of one-to-one study with a local teacher. Some of the teachers speak a little bit of English but if not, you just have to learn quicker!

Mi maestra, Gaby.

Just around the corner from our hotel is a place called Luna de Miel. They do the best crepes in town, savory or sweet, and is best washed down with a huge smoothie (with a splash of rum if you like).

The city has a strong Mayan influence with many of the street sellers speaking a Quiche dialect.

Stopping for a quick beer at Moto Cafe.

We visited Santa Domingo hotel which is one of the most expensive places to stay in town. It used to be a monastery and has an interesting history.

Yesterday we traveled to the markets in Chichicastenango with another overland biker called Paul along with Betina who is studying at the same Spanish school. The markets are approx 2 hours from Antigua and I thought it would be a good test run for the bike after getting a local mechanic to straighten the front wheel.

The markets in ChiChi are made up of indigenous Mayan people selling everything from arts and crafts to livestock. Some of them are camera shy so I resorted to taking sly shots from the waist to avoid being noticing. It’s pretty easy to fill up a memory card while taking hundreds of shots to get just a few decent ones though.

We arrived back in Antigua but the bike still felt weird and we found that the new front wheel bearings fitted in LA have gone bad so have replaced them after visiting the local moto-store for some new parts.

Celebrations seem to have already started for “Day of the Dead” where Catholics pay their respect to their ancestors.

Locals and tourists get close to the action.

The “Torito” dances around the crowd with fireworks on his back. No sign of the HSE here..

We have our first Salsa lesson this week. Lets hope it’s easier than learning Spanish……

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One response

The pictures you share are wonderful – you’ve got impeccable sly shooting skills. Will you post video of the salsa experience? 😉 Hope the front wheel issues are all sorted by the time you get moving again. Suerte!